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Void lensing as a test of gravity

Journal Article · · Physical Review. D.
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom). Astrophysics; DOE/OSTI
  2. Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy. Center for Particle Cosmology
We propose a consistency test of gravity based on the weak lensing signal of cosmic voids. For a given void profile, as traced by galaxies, the lensing signal can vary in different gravity theories. Thus the comparison of the lensing shear profile of such voids with the general relativistic prediction can test for deviations from general relativity (GR). For concreteness, we calculate the expected lensing signal in two gravity theories involving scalar fields with derivative couplings. We find that the scalar field has the potential to boost the tangential shear both within and outside the void radius. Reversing the method, one can infer the void central density parameter from the lensing signal, and compare to the value estimated independently using the galaxy tracer profiles of voids. Hence, one can check for consistency between the behavior of light and matter under the assumption of GR. We use voids traced by luminous red galaxies in SDSS to demonstrate our methodology, finding that the void central density parameter can shift from its GR value by up to 20% in some Galileon gravity models. Although Galileon gravity is now disfavored as a source of cosmic acceleration by other data sets, the methods we demonstrate here can be used to test for more general fifth force effects with upcoming void lensing data.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0007901; SC0013528
OSTI ID:
1541181
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1460136
Journal Information:
Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 98; ISSN 2470-0010
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (12)

Proca-stinated cosmology. Part I. A N-body code for the vector Galileon journal October 2020
Proca-stinated cosmology. Part II. Matter, halo, and lensing statistics in the vector Galileon journal June 2021
Cosmic voids: a novel probe to shed light on our Universe preprint January 2019
Testing general relativity in cosmology journal December 2018
A nulling strategy for modelling lensing convergence in cones with large deviation theory journal January 2020
The Santiago–Harvard–Edinburgh–Durham void comparison II: unveiling the Vainshtein screening using weak lensing journal January 2019
The self-similarity of weak lensing peaks journal August 2019
Dark Energy Survey year 1 results: the relationship between mass and light around cosmic voids journal October 2019
Towards Testing Gravity with Cosmic Voids book October 2019
Towards testing gravity with cosmic voids journal November 2018
The Santiago-Harvard-Edinburgh-Durham void comparison II: unveiling the Vainshtein screening using weak lensing text January 2018
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 results: The relationship between mass and light around cosmic voids text January 2019

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